Has anyone ever made tomato juice?

[Chickerdoodle13]

I picked a ton of tomatoes yesterday from the garden and we recently ran out of tomato juice so I'm making my own! I used all the tomatoes with brown spots and I added some pieces of fresh garlic and a bit of hot pepper flakes. It smells delicious already! I'm making it pretty much the same way you'd make tomato sauce and they are simmering right now. I might just use the other tomatoes to make some sauce later!

How do you guys make your tomato juice?

 

[gmendoza]

I stomp on my tomatos to make juice.

Here are the steps:

1. put tomato on ground.
2. put boot on.
3. stomp on tomato generously.
4. juice.

 

[4boysmom]

Mine is very simple - cut up and boil the tomoatoes, run through collander, flavor with salt and sugar, bring back to boil, pour into jars.....50 qts this year. Very versatile, can be used in lots of things

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

LOL gmendoza!

4boysmom,

That's pretty much exactly what I'm doing. I didn't think about adding sugar though. I might do a bit of that. The pepper flakes certainly gave it a nice kick though! I also added some salt.

I don't think I'm going to can it, but I guess I could freeze some if I needed to. I was reading that you can use it in soups and sauces too! We just got some spaghetti squash from the garden and I'm betting it would taste AWESOME with that!

 

[AhBee01]

If canning the juice don't forget the bottled lemon juice!
And to process them after they are jarred. 35 min for pints, and 40 for quarts.


"Acidification: To ensure safe acidity in whole, crushed, or juiced tomatoes, add two tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid per quart of tomatoes. For pints, use one tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid. Acid can be added directly to the jars before filling with product. Add sugar to offset acid taste, if desired. Four tablespoons of a 5 percent acidity vinegar per quart may be used instead of lemon juice or citric acid. However, vinegar may cause undesirable flavor changes." -- NCHFP, 5th edition

 

[Chickanmanfromarkansas]

We used our tomatoes this year and made picante sauce mostly. We picked the last of them (the greenies) and made some chow chow relish out of it. In years past we've made tomatoes juice, boiled the tomatoes and put thru a seeve (I think that is what it's called), it looks like a sauce pan but has a turning mill looking thing inside and move it around to remove skin and seed. Used a Ball Canning book to cann.

 

[Carolyn]

Many years ago I purchased a juicer strainer that is great for tomatos. You can cook the tomatos first and they are less likely to separate in the jar but since that is cosmetic and does not affect the taste, I don't.

Wash tomatos and cut them in 4th to 8ths depending on size. Cut out early spots of spoilage and use the good part but rinse it before adding to your stash. Set up the strainer and juice them pouring it into a large stock pot. Cook to boiling, add salt to taste. To make it thicker I put the peelings thru x 2 and try to include some roma type tomatos. You do need to stir it to keep it from sticking. Since I equate cooking longer with loss of vitamins I do not cook it very long. You can add a can of tomato paste if you want it thicker.
Put in jars, process boiling water method. (I have been canning 50 yrs and I do not add vinegar or lemon juice to tomatos; I've never had a can to spoil. I do add heirlooms to my juice blend if available. I do add vinegar or lemon juice to salsa or anything to which I have added peppers, onions, etc)

The juicer/strainer is Called Lehman's Best Food Mill in their catalog, I saw one recently at Rural King. I perfer it over my Kitchen aid's food mill.

Years ago I had prepared the tomatos and was set up to start juicing when the phone rang and I went to another room to answer. My boys were 8 & 4 and they very quiet during my phone call except for a few low giggles and whispers. I told my mother she could keep talking and when I went back to the kitchen my tomatos were juiced. They thought they were being bad boys and I thought they were wonderful.